Overview
Ione manzanita is the dominant and characteristic species of Ione chaparral, where it occurs in pure stands. It is an evergreen shrub and can be distinguished from other species of manzanita by its smaller stature and the color of its leaves. It was listed as threatened on May 26, 1999.
Ione manzanita is restricted to the Ione Formation in Amador and Calaveras counties, along an approximate 19.5 mile (31.4 kilometer) stretch, with the main population occurring in in western Amador County around the City of Ione. Ione manzanita occurs in a patchy distribution throughout all its presumed historical range in Amador County.
Ione manzanita is rare even within its range, and threats have reduced the size of populations that include:
- Mining
- Road construction
- Development
- Disease
Scientific Name
Identification Numbers
Characteristics
Habitat
Land on which the natural dominant plant forms are grasses and forbs.
A landmass that projects conspicuously above its surroundings and is higher than a hill.
Physical Characteristics
Ione manzanita appears as a low and spreading shrub that typically reaches a height of less than 3.9 feet (1.2 meters). The shrub’s bark is red, smooth and waxy with narrowly elliptic olive-green leaves 0.2 to 0.6 inch (5 to 15 millimeters) long. The white or pinkish urn-shaped flowers appear from January to February with cylindrical fruit. It is an evergreen shrub and can be distinguished from other species of manzanita by its smaller stature and the color of its leaves.
Life Cycle
Flowering occurs from mid-January to early March and fruits are fully developed by late spring or early summer. Ione manzanita is an obligate seeder that can be killed by fire and depends entirely on seeds stored in the soil or dispersed to the site for stand regeneration.
Timeline
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